The Howling
by AccioTintin
Summary: The short tale of how Remus came to be the way he is.


A young boy with scruffy, light brown hair was inside his small, two story, tidy home, reading a book about Potions. He was studying, of course. He knew that in three months it was his eleventh birthday and he would receive a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he would learn magic, just like he'd always dreamt as a smaller boy. He'd been reading since before the full moon had risen, and even before the rain and lightning.

"Remmy!" His father suddenly called out from downstairs. The boy, Remus Lupin, looked up from his book, "Dad?!" He shouted in reply.

"Come here, son!" His dad instructed, a slight hint of panic in his voice. Remus put down the thick, hardcover book and hopped onto his feet. His slowly walked to the kitchen, his light hair flopping over his forehead, his big, warm amber eyes searching for his father.

"Dad?" Remus curiously began when he saw his father staring intently out of the window. His dad didn't look at him, "Get your mother, then come right back here, and don't mess about." He ordered firmly. Remus frowned a little, then wandered over so he could see out of the window. There he saw a man, sticking to the shadows, seemingly frightened of the areas lit by the bright, beautiful full moon. He was larger than the average human, and when the lightning lit up the outside world, his eyes flashed a violently bright blue that sent shivers down Remus's spine. . "Who's that?" Remus asked. His father looked at him, "Remus, I thought I told you to get your mother? It doesn't matter who he is, he's bad news."

Remus ran up the stairs two at a time, knocking on his mother's door. His mother opened it, "Remmy, sweetheart? What is it?" She asked him, a smile on her soft face. "Dad needs you to come to the kitchen. Someone's outside." Remus said desperately, gripping his mothers hand and pulling her into the hall. She followed, but Remus's father was no longer in the kitchen. "Where is he?" His mother asked Remus softly. Remus looked around, eyes wide, "I- He was just there-" Suddenly there was a yelp that cut him off. Remus ran to the door, closely followed by his Muggle mother. He swung the door open and saw his father standing in the moonlight, wand drawn towards a patch of shadow's. "Dad!" Remus shouted, running out into the moonlight. His father looked at him, eyes wide and filled with horror, "Remus! No! Get back inside!" He shouted frantically. Remus felt his heart speed up when there was a maniacal laugh and a hoarse voice drawled, "Is this your son? I'll teach you for insulting me!" Suddenly a man leapt from the shadows and Remus's father's eyes filled with urgent despair, "Remus! RUN!" His mother screamed as the man was revealed- He had light eyes, hair all over his face and body, and disgusting, fang like teeth. The light of the full moon flickered over his face and Remus was frozen to the spot, dead scared.

The man growled as his body parts distorted, stretched, changed. Soon, where there once stood a foreboding man, stood a huge, panting Werewolf.

Remus's mother screamed like a Banshee, racing back indoors. "Remus! REMUS RUN!" His father screamed urgently. The Werewolf turned and lashed out, knocking his father back into a tree. The air left his chest with an _oof_.

"Dad!" Remus shouted, panicking. His father groggily sat up, and watched as the Werewolf advanced on Remus. It snarled savagely, making Remus stumble back, watching it cautiously, eyes wide with fear and his breath quickening. The Werewolf lashed out, scaping Remus across the face. Remus yelped in pain, falling onto the ground. He reached up to touch his face, and drew his hand back. It was covered in blood. He gave another screamed and tried to crawl away, his heart thudding loudly, his mind racing, overloaded with fear and pure trepidation. He could still hear his mother screaming from the house, and his father was slowly, weakly standing up. Remus's eyes slowly closed as the beast grabbed his arms. He was screaming madly as the Werewolf drew him closer. "No! NOT MY SON!" Remus's father shouted frantically, his eyes watering up with tears.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Remus' father watched the beast's face close in on his only son, fangs bared. It dug into his shoulder, and Remus screamed wildly, thrashing in pain, tears pouring down his bloody cheeks and splattering against his blood soaked shirt. His father drew his wand and cried out the conjunctivitis curse. The Werewolf ripped away from Remus and covered his eyes, roaring in pain. He snarled, shooting Remus's father an evil, hate filled look before racing off into the surrounding forest.

After the sounds of the crashing of an overgrown wolf through the forest faded away, the only noise that could be heard was Remus's sobs. His veins had gone ice cold, and his vision was blurring up. Remus's father limped over, and fell by Remus's side. "Remmy?" He asked, meeting Remus's pained eyes, brimming with tears. The front door slammed, and his mother began running towards him. "Remus! My baby!" She cried, dropping to the ground beside her son and brushing blood and sweat soaked hair from his face, "Remus, baby, how do you feel?" She asked softly, a tear rolling down her cheek. She looked up and met her husband's gaze, "He's been infected." His father whispered. She sniffled, "It's just like the stories, isn't it? Our son is going to turn into that thing every month from now on, isn't he?" She asked him, a flicker of panic in her voice. Remus suddenly screamed, and began thrashing violently. His mother yelped, "Baby, don't thrash around like that- You're scaring me!" She cried, trying to hold him still. Remus's father gathered Remus up in his arms and said, "Remus, son, we're going to the hospital, yeah?"

"It hurts." Remus choked out, writhing, his eyes squeezed shut. A lump rose in his father's throat, "T-They're gonna make to stop hurting, Remus, don't worry about it." He whispered shakily. Remus's parents raced into the house and to the Fireplace. They all stepped in and Remus's mother gripped Remus's hand, giving in a squeeze, "Hold in there, sweetheart." She murmured. His father grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and threw it, shouting, "Saint Mungo's!"

Remus's eyes opened slowly, but he closed them again when the light hit him. He groaned, and gave his eyes time to adjust. A few seconds later he opened them again, and found himself staring up at a white roof. He breathed in through his nose, and all he smelt was the chemical smell of a hospital. Then a voice, "Doctor, the patient is awake!" A man in a white coat raced over to Remus, and stared down at him, "How do you feel?" He asked him kindly. "Kind of sleepy." Remus murmured. The Doctor nodded, "Yeah, how about we stand you up, and we'll see if you can walk properly?" The nurse helped him up out of the white sheet covered bed and tried to stable him. "Can you stand?" She asked him softly. Remus nodded, and took a few steps. He looked around; He was in Saint Mungo's. Then he saw- His breath froze up in his chest. His reflection.

His face still held it's cute baby look, but there, from his jaw to his cheek bone on the left side of his face was a pink, puckered up scar, with bruising around it, and stiches. There was a bandage on his nose and more stiches on the other side of his face. He felt himself falling, and his breath quickened. He hadn't given it a thought- But he was in the hospital because he was attacked by a Werewolf. And his life would never, _ever _be the same.


End file.
